Printing-machine.



s. 0. EDMONDS. PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED DEC. 22, 1909.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

3 sHEBTs-sHBET 1.

INVENTOR S. 0. EDMONDS.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED DEC. 22, 1909.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

S. O. EDMONDS. PRINTING MACHINE.

AHLIOAIION FILED DEO. ZZ. 1909.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915 3 SHElETS-SHEET s.

#IIiIfIIII I I m n S I m V/x/zM/l/l 4 a N W I w (1.1m w 1% n V////// A him SAMUEL 0. EDMONDS, OF NE V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO A. .B. DICK COMPANY, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS. A CORPORATION 0F ILLIN 01Sv PRINTING--MACHINE.

amnesia Application filed December 22, 1905 To ul/ iii/mm i/r may roll/4cm Be it known that I, SAM'UEI. l). lflnnonns, a citizen oi" the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New Yorli', have invented certain new and useful improvements in PrintingMachin s. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to printing niachines of the type adapted particularly for use in oliices and lor operation by unskilled persons in making multiple copies of letters, circulars and the like, especially letters and circulars printed in imitation of type-written work.

The invention is directed to the pro ision of a printing machine having means for printing names and addresses upon the letters or circulars printed thereby and for this purpose is arranged to utilize a plurality of type-plates each adapted to print a name and address upon one of the letters or circulars.

in accordance with the invention. a machine is employed preferably of that charact-er in which is used a fiat typeform and a pressure-roller adapted to rotate and to move bodily over the form of type, an ink ribbon being provided extending between the type-twin and the impression sheet 0\'ei'l \'i1l;1' the same. The support for the type-form is such as to provide a groove extending across the typetorm and through which a line of type-plates may he moved one after another. These type-plates may he of such size that a plurality of them may be in the groove at one time but means are provided whereby only one of the type plates will be eii'ective in each printing operation. Thus the type plates may normally be out of printing position in their passage throughthe groove and mechanism provided for raising one of the type-plates in. the groove and holding it in an elevated position during the printing operation. The several type plates may be separated from one another or, if desired, all of the typeplates may be connected together so as to 'Form a tape. In either case suitable inechanism is provided for feeding the type-plates across the groove one step for each printing operation of the machine, and in case disconnected type-plates are employed the groove may be so formed that the movement of any plate will cause the plates ahead oi it to be correspondingly pushed along.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented Jan. 23-45, 1M5.

Serial No. 534,443.

l have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invcfition in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine broken away in part. Fig. 2 is a transverse section oi same on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a detail view on line -l-l of Fig. 2, the hopper being removed to show the nnderlying parts. Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but illustrating a modification of the invention and Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the n'iechanism illustrated in Fig.

Referring first to Figs. l to linclusive, the machine consists of a base A on which are mounted side frames B, I3 between which is mounted a support C carrying the type-torn) c, the latter being locked in a chase n. An ink ribbon D overlies the printing faces of the type, this ribbon having its ends wound upon spools (Z mounted for rotation at opposite ends of the typeform. At one end of the machine is a shaft ltl having sprocket wheels secured to its ends and at the opposite end of the machine two sprocket wheels are similarly mounted upon the side-frames; two chains 0 run upon these sprocket-wheels, one chain adjacent to each side-frame of the machine. A. pressureroller 1 is mounted upon a shaft the ends of which are received in bearings carried by these chains 0 and this pressure-roller is adapted to more in one direction over the typc-form and in coaction with the type and in the other direction on the opposite side ol the type-form and the supporttheretor in order to return the pressure-roller to its initial position. The shaft E may be actuated in any suitable manner as for instance by the operating handle shown at e and a fly-wheel a may be provided upon the shaft- E.

Referring now to the. parts ol the print ing mechanism to which my invention more i-ispecially relates, there is provided a groove extending across the type-form; for this purpose "the side members of the chase have grooves cut therein and a piece of furniture is locked in the chase with the type either having a groove formed in the upper face thereof or being of less height than the pieces of furniture or the type adjacent theret.

in the drawings l have shown a piece of and address.

furniture G having a groove cut in its upper face. This groove, in the figure referred to, is shown as of one depth for a port-ion of its length and of a greater depth for the remainder of its length, as is shown in Fig. 2, so as to provide a shoulder g. When a type-plate passes beyond the shoulder 9 it drops to a lowerlevel such that the typeform thereon will not coact with the pressure-roller F to print. This feature of my device, however, is not claimed herein, another means for causing the type-plates tobe successivelybrought into operative position being described hereafter.

Mounted upon the side frame B is a receptacle H adapted to receive a plurality of type-plates h each having type thereon representing a name The bottom of this receptacle consists of a sliding plate It slotted at one end thereof so as to provide a space in which a stationary supporting member h? is received, this being carried by the side frame of the machine. A spring h normally holds sliding plate 71. in the position in which it is shown in Figs. '2 and 4, this spring being attached at one end to an extension. h of the side frame B and at the other end to a pin depending, from the plate h. On the other side of the plate It is formed a rack with teeth to be engaged by a mutilated gear 2" carried by a shaft I. On this shaft is secured a bevel gear 21 meshing with a similar gear i secured to the shaft E. Pivotally mounted upon the plate h are two pawls J each of which is pressed upwardly by a leaf-spring j. On the opposite side of the machine is any suitable device for receiving the type-plates after they have been used in printing; in the present instance I have shown a chute K leading to a receptacle k.

\Vhen the machine is operated, the handle 0 is turned to cause the pressure-roller F to 1 travel. over the type-form and to print by pressing a sheet into engagement with the printing faces of the type 0 through the ink ribbon D and thereafter to be returned on the opposite side of the type-form and typesupport. During each excursion of the roller 1 the shaftI will be caused to make one revolution by the gears i 2'. During such revolution the shaft I turns the gear '11 and the latter moves'the plate h to the right in Fig. 2; as it does so the hangers J carried by the plate h engage the lowermost typeplate It in the receptacle H and move the same with the-plate it over the supporting plate it. moved beyond the edge of the receptacle II the gear 2" lisengages the rack '5 because of the mutilation of the gear and the plate It is returned to its initial position by the spring 72.9; then when the gear 7" begins another rotation it again engages the rack i and actuates it as before so as to move frame B.

After the type-plate has beenfrom it upon the impression-sheet just as it prints from the type a which are locked in the chase. After this plate has been used in printing it will be forced along in the groove by the succeeding plate and will pass the shoulder g whereupon it will drop 'to a lower level at which level its type face will be too low to coact with the roller F. During succeeding operations this type-plate will be carried to theend of the groove-extending across the type-form and will pass into the receiver is.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be seen that in this case the type-plates instead of being separate pieces are illustrated as being linked together so as to form aflexible belt or tape. In this case shaft I has amutilated gear L thereon adapted to engage a gear Z secured upon a shaft Z pivotally mounted in arms l projecting from a side The shaft Z carries two wheels Z having arms the ends of which are adapt- .ed to enter. the spaces between the adjacent type-plates h. Thus, during each rotation of shaft I the gear L will actuate the gear I and wheels Z so as to feed the series of type-plates along in the groove extending across the type-form. As illustrated" means may be employed as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 for raising bodily in the groove the typeplate from which itis desired to print. For this purpose the shaft I has secured thereto the cam M adapted to coact with a roller carried by a lever mpivoted at m. to the arm m projecting inwardly from the side frame B. ries a rod N to the upper end of which is secured a plate 12 forming the bottom of a portion of the groove extending across the type-form. A spiral spring n may be provided coiled about the rod N. The cam M is so positioned upon the shaft I that it will actuate the lever m so as to raise the supporting-plate a just before the pressureroller F comes over the type-plate supported by the plate a. and the distance which the plate n will be moved upwardly by the cam M will be sufficient to carry the type-plate thereon into .position for proper coaction with the pressure-roller F. 011 the opposite side of the machine wheels may be provided similar to the wheels Z adapted to guide the tape of type-plates into a suitable receptacle It will be noted that the means provided in connecting the several type-plates together is such that any plate in the tape may be moved upwardly in order to carry it into printing position without'raising the two At its opposite end lever m car- 0. After the sheet has been imprinted upon,

the cam M will permit lever on to be returned to its initial position and spring a will force the plate a downwardly to its initial position.

Mechanism such as that 3' 11st described for placing the address plates in operative position, is a feature of my invention, in connection with the use of address plates connected together, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, or separate address plates fed into the groove in the manner described in connection with Figs. 1 to l.

The guide-way for the type-plates extending across the type-form may be constructed in various manners. Thus it is only necessary to out grooves in the side members of the chase and to use furniture in the chase of such height as will form the groove positioned to continue and connect the slots in the chase. I prefer, however, to provide a special piece adapted to be inserted in the chase and to project through and beyond the slot cut in the side members of the chase, these projecting portions serving to properly guide the type-plates into and out of the groove. in the present instance, I have shown the chase as consisting of a plate of sheet-metal (J to which the side and end members of the chase are secured, in which case the side members may be entirely cut away at the points Where the groove for the type-plates crosses. At one side the piece G is extended beyond the chase as shown at o in Fig. 4., and at the other side is a projection 0 which coacts with the member 32. secured to the side frame B to properly guide the type-plates.

in the accompanying drawings, l have sliown the devices for printing" the addresses as metallic plates having letters and figures raised thereon for printing the names and addresses. 1 wish it understood, however, that the invention is in no way limited with respect to the character of the address plates. Instead of the metallic plates here shown, the address-plates may be stencilplates of any suitable material, as Waxedpaper, sheetmetal or other substance, or of such other character as maybe desired.

Having now described my invention, what claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows 1. In a printing machine, the combination of a support, a form of type thereon having a guide-way extending across the face of the same, a platen, means for moving the platen and type-form relatively to effect the printing, a plurality of address-plates movable in said guideway, and means actuated. automatically in accordance with the relative movement of the platen and type-form for raising the address-plate which is in a predetermined position in said guide-Way and holding said plate in operative position, substantially as set forth.

2. In a printing machine, the combination of a support, a form of type thereon having a guideway extending across the face of the same, a platen, means for moving the platen and type-form relatively, automatic feeding devices for feeding address-plates in said guideway, each plate having its printing face below the level of the printing face of the form of type, and means operated automatically at definite intervals in the operation of the platen and type-form for raising the address-plate which is in a predetermined position in said guideway, substantially as set forth. I

3. In a printing machine, the combination of a support, a form of type thereon having a guideway extending across the face of the same, a platen, means for moving the platen and typeform relatively, a plurality of address-plates pivotally connected in the form of a flexible tape and movable in said guideway, intermittently actuated feeding devices for feeding the tape, apd means operated automatically at definite intervals in the operation of the platen and type form for raising one plate of the portion of said tape in said guideway to operative position without raising the plates adjacent thereto, substantially as set forth.

4. In a printing machine, the combination of a support, a form of type thereon having a guidevvay extending across the face of the same, a platen, means for moving the platen and type-form relatively, automatic feeding devices for feeding addressplates in said guideway, each plate having its printing face below the level of the printing face of the form of type, a movable plate constituting a part of said guideway adapted to be contacted by one of said address plates each,

operation of the machine, and means for moving said plate at definite intervals in the operation of the platen and type form for moving thei address-plate contacted thereby into printing position, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 18th day of December, 1909.

SAMUEL G. EDMONDS.

Witnesses: V

D. S. Enmonns, HENRY MEYER. 

